************************************************************* Music of African Americans: Hip Hop-Decoded MUS 307/AFR 317 Fall 2020 MWF 12-1pm (online and synchronous) Instructor: Dr. Charles Carson [email protected] (but please use Canvas) Twitter: @UT_Doc_C 512.232.9448 Virtual Office hours: W 1-2pm, or by appointment Teaching Assistant: Andrew Normann [email protected] I. Course Description: Generally speaking, this course is an introduction to the musical, social, cultural, and political aspects of Hip Hop culture in the US, as interpreted through the history and development of its musical style. II. Course Aims and Objectives: Aims Beyond increasing familiarity with African American music and culture, a major goal of this course is to provide you with the tools to coexist--and indeed thrive--in a gloBal context. Specific Learning Objectives: By the end of this course, students will: ● Be aBle to recognize and descriBe general elements of African American cultural practices, including instruments/media, performance practice, and aesthetics. ● Discuss the ways in which these elements have influenced (and continue to influence) contemporary US society, especially with respect to hip hop and related genres. ● Critically assess expressions and representations of African American culture in music and media. ● Be aBle to apply these critical thinking skills in the context of other cultures and contexts, both historical and contemporary. III. Format and Procedures: Instructional mode: ONLINE - this course is designed to be 100% online and 100% synchronous. Students will be able to complete all required course activities remotely. Alternative access will be provided to students with demonstrated need for such accommodations. The content will center around a select Body of readings, recordings, videos, and other media. Advance preparation is key to following the content, so please come to class prepared to engage with that day’s materials. Other activities include: quizzes & assignments, and a final project to be explained in class. IV. My Assumptions I Believe that diversity is good for the world. It opens up our eyes to other perspectives and possibilities, and can thus help move humankind forward. I also believe that the understanding of how identity works in general is key to understanding ourselves. While this course will focus primarily upon expressions of African American identity, I hope that we will foster greater patience, understanding, and respect for any and all peoples. By enrolling in this class, I assume that you are interested in taking such a journey. (By the way, the answer to question #5 on the syllabus quiz is C.) While I don’t expect you to agree with everything you hear, I do expect that you will put the utmost effort towards developing an appreciation for the musics and cultures discussed, as well as an awareness of music’s important role in the enrichment of the human spirit. This class is NOT intended just for music majors. No previous musical knowledge or experience is required to excel in this course. Keep in mind that listeners make up the largest (and arguably the most powerful) demographic of the music industry, so what you think and feel aBout the music is important. Music is all around you, and—however unknowingly—you have developed the tools to interpret, discuss, and critique it. This class is intended to hone those skills, augmenting them with information aBout the music’s technical and cultural contexts. PLEASE BE PATIENT. The university, your professors, and your teaching assistants are all having to adjust to this situation, too, and we are doing the Best we can. There will Be Bumps and hiccups, But we will all take them in stride. Your grade will not Be affected if something goes wrong, so relax and let’s just have some fun. Students who need accommodations due to their unique COVID-related situations should reach out to me immediately, so we can work around them. A Word About Language Many of the recordings that we will encounter will utilize “colorful” language of various types. Whenever practicable, I have substituted edited versions of some examples if the edits do not dramatically affect the intention, meaning, or aesthetic of the song. However, some examples need to be heard in their original format. Consider this a warning. The inclusion of such examples is not intended to be offensive, merely to represent the realities of the musical soundscapes we are discussing. Furthermore, such content is not to Be taken as representing the thoughts, ideas, or perspectives of the instructor, your fellow students, or the university. More detail will Be provided in class discussions. V. Course Requirements: 1. Class attendance and participation policy: a. We recognize that this is a challenging time for all, and we will strive to Be flexiBle and sensitive to the needs of individual students. b. That Being said, you will Be expected to attend virtual sessions, and demonstrate engagement through a variety of means. c. Attendance will Be taken virtually, through session logs and online participation polls. d. Students will be allowed two unexcused absence before their grade will be affected. e. Unexcused aBsences are any aBsence for which you do not have a valid, verifiaBle excuse. These do NOT have to Be provided Beforehand, but need to be clearly documented. f. YOU are responsiBle for any content that you miss due to aBsence, including readings, quizzes, or other activities, but of course we are availaBle to help you access this material. g. Late assignments will not Be accepted, except in the case of EXCUSED aBsences. h. A Word about Conduct in the Virtual Classroom: This course will deal with some touchy issues, including race/ethnicity, class, and gender/sexuality issues. While I want you to feel comfortable to express your thoughts, feelings, and opinions, I ask that please be sensitive to those around you—we all come from a variety of backgrounds and belief systems (which is critical to the learning experience), and our experiences vary greatly. Students who refuse to be respectful will Be asked to leave the sessions. i. At the same time, however, I encourage you to challenge yourself and your assumptions about the world by emBracing ideas that may be new or unfamiliar to you. This class should Be a safe environment with learning as our primary goal—let’s take advantage of that opportunity. j. If, at any time, you are made to feel uncomfortable, please do not hesitate to bring this to my attention. I am sure we can work through it. Religious Holy Days By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of your pending aBsence at least fourteen days prior to the date of oBservance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, I will give you an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the aBsence. 2. Course Readings/Materials: ○ Assorted readings, provided By the instructor and availaBle online. ○ Recordings, provided By the instructor and availaBle online. ○ CANVAS course site access (see technology policy) 3. Assignments, Assessment, and Evaluation a. Throughout this course, you will Be expected to read and listen regularly. This is not only part of your preparation for this course, but also a part of your musical and intellectual development in general. Readings and listenings assignments on the syllabus are to be completed BY that date. Please come to class prepared to discuss the material assigned for that day, and suBmit all assignments online in a timely manner. b. The Bulk of the coursework will consist of quizzes, reading guides, short assignments, and a one-time “DECODING” final project, which will be explained in class. c. Reading Guides must Be completed BEFORE class time on the day the reading is listed on the course calendar d. No late reading guides will Be accepted. e. NO FINAL EXAM for this class. Instead, you will complete a final project, which is due By end of the university scheduled final exam time. This will be suBmitted online, per the instructions given in class. f. Make-up quizzes will not be given. Should you fall too far behind, see me. Each quiz will be available online for AT LEAST two days, so you should plan to be able to complete them before their due date. g. Students should use the grading rubric below to estimate their progress in the class. 5. Technology Policies a. This class uses CANVAS (https://canvas.utexas.edu). If you are not familiar with it, please take some time NOW to get used to navigating the interface. 99% of course materials, announcements, etc. will be circulated via this courseware. b. This class will Be delivered via LAITS own online learning system, Rendezvous. Links will be posted in the appropriate places on Canvas. c. Virtual office hours (as well as one-on-one meetings, by appointment) will be conducted via ZOOM. Students should make sure they are logged into their official UT ZOOM account, via https://utexas.zoom.us d. This class has a twitter feed (@UT_Doc_C), which I will use to inform you aBout interesting stories, events, or class updates in real time. While following me is not a requirement, you will want to check the twitter feed periodically. For those of you who do not use Twitter, I have embedded a Twitter feed widget on the main page of Canvas. Since this account is purely for educational purposes, I will not follow you back—nothing personal. e. If you experience any technical issues whilst online, go ahead and email me as soon as possible. The LAITS representatives will handle technology issues, but your timely email to me will Be documentation of proBlems for attendance/participation purposes.